we praise the moon when it sings to us
by misskieraaa
Summary: "Even if I couldn't feel the darkness and power radiating from him, there's no mistaking his Mark. The sapphire-blue crescent moon bang-smack in the middle of his forehead and the additional tattooing of waves and knots that framed his equally blue eyes. He was a vampyre."


_**I don't own Glee, that's Ryan Murphy. And same for House Of Night - P.C and Kristen Cast.**_

_**I've used some parts of the actual book, so no copy-right infringement intended.**_

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_Hit me like a ray of sun,_  
_Burning through my darkest night._  
_You're the only,_  
_one that I want,_  
_Think I'm addicted to your light._

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_Chapter One._

Just when she thought her day couldn't get any worse, she saw the dead guy standing by her locker. Okay, so maybe he wasn't technically _dead_, but un-dead, or un-human, or whatever.

Sunshine was just chatting on about something-or-another and for some reason, she didn't notice him straight away. Actually, now she thought about it, no-one else noticed him until he spoke, which, sadly, proveed her inability to fit in further.

"But Rachel, I swear to God, Jesse didn't drink that much at the after party. You really shouldn't be so hard on him."

"Yeah," she said absently, "sure." Then, for like the millionth time that day, she coughed. She felt like crap – which was unusual in itself. Rachel's health is impeccable with her multiple vitamin and daily workout routine. It seriously felt like she was dying, though.

If she died, would it get her out of the geometry test tomorrow? Maybe death wasn't so bleak after all.

"Rachel, please. Are you even listening to me? I was there the _entire_ night, and Jesse had what? Five? Maybe seven beers and like – three shots. He probably wouldn't have even got the drunk if you actually showed up. But, no. Your stupid parents wouldn't let you."

They shared a long-suffering look between each other and carried on walking, only too aware how Rachel's step-loser was ruining her life. Her dad - sweet, innocent, Jewish Hiram) had re-married (re-partnered?) three really long years ago and her life had gone down-hill from there.

"Plus, he was celebrating," after a breath, Sunshine was back to her usual babble, "I mean, he just finished his run of Tony in _West Side Story_, which was the best show the school's put on for like – ever!"

Rachel coughed again, shrugging for good measure.

"The point is, he was wasted for like, the third time this week, and every time we kiss, it feels like I'm sucking on alcohol drenched toes." She grimaced, but it made her head hurt worse, which in turn made the room spin. Rachel forced herself to take deep, slow breaths, sighing when the room came to a final stand still.

Sunshine gave her a look, "Shame he's so hot." Rachel rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to cough again, all too familiar with her best friends' usual shallowness.

"You're so grumpy when you're sick." She sighed, nudging her in the ribs which resulted in a coughing fit. Like a totally unattractive, doubled over, gut wrenching coughing fit.

When she finally finished coughing, and wiped her stupidly running eye, that's when she saw him. The dead guy. Or un-dead, or _what. Ever. _Scientists said one thing, people said another, but the result was the same. Even if she couldn't feel the darkness and power radiating from him, there's no mistaking his Mark. The sapphire-blue crescent moon bang-smack in the middle of his forehead and the additional tattooing of waves and knots that framed his equally blue eyes. He was a vampyre. And worse (if that was possible), he was a Tracker. And even worse than that, he was standing in front of Rachel's locker. Great.

"Rachel, you're _so _not listening to me!" Sunshine's shrill voice was drowned out by the Tracker's deep, ceremonial voice that licked the space between them, dangerous and seductive. Like rich blood mixed with melted chocolate.

"_Rachel Widdowson! Night has chosen thee; thy death will be thy birth. Night calls to thee; hearken to Her sweet voice. Your destiny awaits you at the house of night!"_

The Tracker lifted a long, pale finger, pointing it directly to her face. As Rachel's forehead exploded in pain and she fell to the floor, a scream erupted from somewhere – possibly Sunshine.

* * *

A moan escaped her lips as the bright splotches finally cleared from her eyes. The first thing Rachel saw was Sunshine's tear streaked, pale face staring down at her in horror.

She opened her mouth to speak, but as usual, Sunny beat her to it. "Oh God, Rachel! He Marked you! You have that – that _thing _on your forehead!"

She resisted the urge of some sarcastic comment and coughed again, placing a hand to her forehead. She had a killer headache, particularly between her eyebrows. Like a wasp had just stung her there.

"Rachel," Sunshine was really crying now and had to speak between sobs, "that-that guy! He was... a-a Tracker. A vampyre Tracker!"

_Thank you Captain Obvious_ Rachel thought, rolling her eyes.

Rachel reached out a comforting hand to pat Sunshine's shoulder when she cringed away. She actually _cringed _and moved away.

She couldn't believe it. It was like she was afraid of her, and a surge of anger and hurt swelled within her already pounding head. Sunshine must of seen it in her eyes because she began yapping away almost instantly.

"Oh _God_, Rachel! What are we going to do? You can't go to that – to that _place._ Who am I supposed to go like, everywhere with?"

Rachel couldn't help but notice that during her speech, Sunshine hadn't taken a single step towards her. If anything, she was slowly edging away. She clamped down the urge of bursting into tears and almost instantly, her eyes dried. They should do. I've had three years of practice...That, and she's too good an actress to not have control over her actions.

"It's okay. I'll figure this out. It's probably just… some mistake. Yeah. Some bizarre mistake." She lied, not sure who she was convincing. Sunshine or herself.

The words were escaping her mouth without her really doing anything. It was more of a distraction really. Still grimacing in pain, she felt a swoop of relief as she realised they were the only two in the hall. Had she not forgot her geometry book (for a night of more than likely pointless studying), they would've been in the crowded student parking lot with the majority of the 1,500 students that went to William McKinley High School.

Rachel coughed again, this time a really wet, disgusting cough that made her head rattle more than a little uncomfortably.

"Rachel? Are you okay?" Sunshine's voice was too high, almost like a squeak. She'd also taken another step away from her.

Anger bubbled up inside of her; it wasn't as though she'd asked for this! Sunshine and Rachel had been best friends since fifth grade, and never had she looked at her like she was morphing before her eyes into some sort of monster. But the sad truth was - in a way - she was.

"Sunshine, it's just me. The same me I was one second ago, and one day ago, and one week ago! This," she pointed angrilly to the sapphire Mark on her forehead, "doesn't change who I am!"

Her eyes teared up again, and for a second, Rachel thought she was going to go and hug her. Comfort her. _Move closer to her_. But then Sunshine's phone stared singing _Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun_ and Rachel could tell by her goofy expression that it was her boyfriend, Jake.

"Go for it," she said in an expressionless voice, "ride home with him."

Her expression of relief was like a slap in the face.

"I'll call you?" She threw over her shoulder as she retreated far too quickly down the hall. Probably just trying to get rid of her. But as much space as possible between them. Not call her at all.

Rachel watched her jog through the door, her phone glued to her ear, more than likely telling Jake that she was turning into a monster.

But sadly, turning into a monster was the better choice of her two options. Choice number one: she turns into a vampyre, which equals a monster in any normal human's mind. Choice number two: her body rejects the change and she dies. Forever.

Which meant she'd have to move into the House Of Night, more commonly known to everyone as the Vampyre Finishing School, where she would spend the next four years going through unameable and unimaginable changes, mentally and physically; as well as a permanent life shake up. And that's if the whole thing didn't kill her first.

Rachel sighed heavily, dragging her knees to her chest and placing her chin in the dent between them. She just wanted to fit in, be normal. She wanted to pass high school and leave Lima to pursue New York. Go home to Broadway. School was the only place she could escape since home was a no-go anymore.

Now that was being taken from her, too.

Hesitantly, she rubbed her unusually warm forehead, playing with her bangs until they semi-covered her eyes, and with any luck (even though it seemed to be against her) her Mark too. Keeping her head down, Rachel pretended to be looking through her purse as she hurried towards the student parking lot.

But she stopped short, from the window in the door, she could just make out Jesse, surrounded by his usual flock of girls, posing and flipping their hair. Rachel rolled her eyes, _of course._ But then she forced herself to remember that Jesse used to be incredibly sweet and even now he had his moments… Mostly when he bothered to be sober.

A sultry giggle reached her from the outside. Megan Shadly. The biggest ho in the school had just playfully slapped Jesse on the bicep, clearly thinking this was some sort of mating ritual. As usual, clueless Jesse just grinned and drank from the can he was holding. Great. Rachel's tiny, bright red Mini sat there cutely among them all. Turning on her heel, she marched into the closest bathroom.

Thankfully, it was empty. There was five red stalls side by side which she double checked for feet before stalking to the mirror. It had a ledge for bags and make-up and what-not, so she placed her purse and book on it and looked into the mirror. With one swift motion, she brushed back her hair.

It was like staring into the eyes of the familiar stranger. You know, that person you swear you know, but you really don't? That was Rachel now. The familiar stranger.

She had Rachel's eyes. They were the same chocolate brown colour with gold flecks in them, but had they ever been that big and round? They must have been. She had her hair. Long and deep brown. Naturally hanging straight with tendrils that always seemed to find the right place to frame my face. The familiar stranger had her lips – big and pink and pouty. The same annoyingly large nose from her Jewish heritage that sat on her face practically screaming 'look at me!' But had her skin always been that pale? No… she'd always been much darker skinned that the rest of her family – more olive-ish. Maybe her skin was so pale in comparison to the sapphire blue outline of the crescent moon that was perfectly positioned in the middle of her still throbbing forehead. Or maybe it was the cheap fluorescent lighting. Rachel _really _hoped it was the lighting.

The exotic looking tattoo once again attracted her attention. Mixed with her strong Jewish features (_the nose)_, it seemed to brand her with a mark of wildness. Like she was from another era, when the world was more… barbaric.

Rachel knew, from this day on, her life would never be the same. And for a moment – just an instant – she forgot about the horror of what had happened, and what inevitably will, and felt a shocking bust of pleasure and pride. As deep inside, past all the dilution from the Step-Loser, the blood of her grandmother's people rejoiced.

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_**Finn will be introduced in a couple of chapters: two, maybe three. I hope you don't grow too bored with my very long waits between chapters and the lovely Finn.**_

_**Usually, the song lyrics before the chapter have nothing to do with the actual chapter. I'll just use whatever song I'm listening to or just whatever I want really. **_

_**Halo - Beyonce.**_

_**Yeah so... Review?**_


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